Filing deadline for town candidates is June 30

Sunday, June 14, 2015

With the filing deadline for candidates in Putnam County's five towns just two weeks away, most spots on the ballot remain unfilled.

Independent candidates for town council and clerk treasurer positions have until noon on Tuesday, June 30 to file their paperwork with the Putnam County Voter Registration Office.

The deadline to run as a Republican or Democrat has already passed.

Interested parties should pick up a candidate packet at the Voter Registration Office on the second floor of the Putnam County Courthouse. For more information, call 655-1538. The office is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The ballot for the City of Greencastle was already set by the May 5 primary election, with only one open spot, a third Democrat candidate for city council at-large, unfilled.

The towns of Bainbridge, Cloverdale, Fillmore, Roachdale and Russellville all have not only uncontested races, but several with no candidates at all.

Thus far, the only contested races outside of the city are for the clerk-treasurer positions in Bainbridge and Roachdale.

In Bainbridge, two new candidates will seek the clerk-treasurer position currently occupied by Jason Hartman (I), who is not seeking a fourth term. Independents Bobbi Boller and Pamela Kashman will face off in November for the open position.

Also in Bainbridge, two candidates have filed for council positions in different wards. Incumbent Joel Thompson (I) is again seeking the Ward 3 position, while newcomer Jerry Lents (I) is running for the Ward 2 position occupied by Bonnie Osborn (I).

Neither Osborn nor Ward 1 Councilman Chuck McElwee (I) have filed.

The Town of Roachdale also has four filings, two of them by candidates seeking the clerk-treasurer seat.

Debbie Sillery (I) and Katrina "Kathy" Asher are running for the position currently occupied by Martha Louk (I), who has not filed.

In the race for the three at-large council positions, Rick Kiefer (I) and Jim Cromwell (I) are the only candidates so far. In 2011, Kiefer and Cromwell ran fourth and fifth in the race for the three positions, with Kiefer missing election by just one vote.

Current council members Zach Bowers, Barbara Scott and Jack Jones have yet to file.

Three candidates currently holding positions have filed in Cloverdale, though one is seeking a different seat on the council.

Current Ward 1 Councilman Gary Bennington (I) will run for the council at-large seat occupied by Larry Fidler (R), who has yet to file paperwork. Although the party filing deadline has passed, if Fidler is seeking re-election, he could still file as an independent.

This was the course taken by Ward 2 Councilman Don Sublett, who has previously run as a Republican but is seeking re-election as an independent.

Clerk-Treasurer Cheryl Galloway (R) is also seeking her second term in office.

The other two Cloverdale Town Council positions were elected in 2014, with Coweta Patton (R) earning the at-large position and Cindy Holland (R) getting the nod in Ward 3. Their terms expire in December 2018.

Neither Russellville nor Fillmore has had and filings for the open clerk-treasurer or council seats.

In Russellville, Devon Davis (I) is the current clerk-treasurer, while Don Reddish (I), Norman Jean Gross (I) and Cathy Jones (I) occupy the three council at-large positions.

In Fillmore, Ward 2 Councilman Alan Jones (I) and Ward 3 Councilman Meridith Trusty (I) have said they will not be seeking re-election, but no candidates have filed to replace.

Likewise, recently-appointed Clerk-Treasurer Paul Aleyn (I) and Ward 1 Councilman Curt Leonard (I) have yet to file, though both appear likely to seek another term.

2015 Town Elections

(Filings as of June 10)

Bainbridge

Clerk-Treasurer: Bobbi Boller (I), Pamela Kashman (I)

Council Ward 1: No candidates filed

Council Ward 2: Jerry Lents (I)

Council Ward 3: Joel Thompson* (I)

Cloverdale

Clerk-Treasurer: Cheryl Galloway* (R)

Council At-Large: Gary Bennington (I)

Council Ward 1: No candidates filed

Council Ward 2: Donald Sublett* (I)

Fillmore

Clerk-Treasurer: No candidates filed

Council Ward 1: No candidates filed

Council Ward 2: No candidates filed

Council Ward 3: No candidates filed

Roachdale

Clerk-Treasurer: Katrian "Kathy" Asher (I), Debbie Sillery (I)

Town Council At-Large (vote for 3): Jim Cromwell (I), Rick Kiefer (I)

Russellville

Clerk-Treasurer: No candidates filed

Town Council At-Large (vote for 3): No candidates filed

*--Incumbent

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